Gallagher and McConnell advance to quarter-finals

Jude Gallagher is through to the lightweight quarter-finals at the Commonwealth Games, opening his campaign with a dominant victory over Pakistan's Qudrat Ullah at the SEC Centre.

Team NI's co-captain Gallagher, who claimed featherweight gold in Birmingham four years ago, won the approval of four of the five judges with the fifth scoring it even.

The county Tyrone man showed good variation to his work as he applied smart pressure and while he did take a couple of lefts from southpaw Ullah, he swept the opening round.

Ullah was docked a point in the second for use of the head with Gallagher's left eye a little swollen by the end, but it was another impressive round from the Two Castles club-man who moved into a healthy lead.

With the result all but sealed, Gallagher was able to pick his moments in the third as he moved into a meeting with Zambia's Albert Ngulube on Wednesday evening.

"He was tricky, an awkward southpaw who throws long shots," Gallagher told BBC Sport NI.

"I had to stay on my toes as a couple of times he caught me when I took my foot off the gas so I had to stay switched on but that's a nice one to get me up and going."

Jon McConnell also advanced with a 4-1 win over India's Sumit Sumit in their light-middleweight round of 16 contest.

The Belfast man was docked a point in a fairly even opening round for holding, but both had been having their moments, reflected on the cards with Sumit getting the nod from three of the five judges.

It was a reverse in the second with McConnell beginning to have more joy on the outside to tighten up the cards going into the last.

McConnell appeared to be having a little more success as, keen to avoid any further penalties, he was happy to stand in the pocket and fire right hands and a strong finish saw him home and into a meeting with Carl Hield of the Bahamas on Wednesday.

"A lot of people would have lost the head [after losing a point], but I stuck to it, stuck on him and knew I had the beating of him after the first round," McConnell said.

"I showed a lot of guts there, so I'm proud."